By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, July 12: The state government has decided to cancel the smart road projects under the Shillong Smart City plan as they are not deemed feasible.
Deputy Chief Minister in charge of Urban Affairs Minister, Sniawbhalang Dhar announced this on Friday even as a project in the Lachumiere area, one of Shillong’s 17 Smart City road projects, remains incomplete.
He said about 4% of the Lachumiere project under the first phase of Smart City has been completed. “The government will now put up fresh estimates from the State Plan to resurface the major roads in the city to be like smart roads,” he said.
Dhar said the government is preparing the estimates and the detailed project report.
He said the non-availability of land to expand the narrow roads was one of the major factors behind the decision to scrap the smart road projects. The officers concerned will make a bill according to the quantum of work done in Lachumiere. “We thought it would be better not to waste time on smart roads and resurface the existing roads to make them look smart,” Dhar said, insisting a small amount had been spent on the incomplete project.
He said similar problems cropped up in the smart road projects in other cities too.
He claimed most of the other projects under the Shillong Smart City are progressing well and some of them will be inaugurated in August-September this year.
Among the projects ready are the markets in Polo and Laitumkhrah and the Integrated Command Control Centre, Dhar said.
He also said the work on at least 12 parking lots for vehicles under the State Plan is also progressing well.
Stating that the government is even ready for Smart City 2.0, he asked the pressure groups in the state to work with the government to take the state forward.
His appeal follows a series of disturbances the pressure groups created by checking the documents of the labourers engaged in several government projects.
